Essence of Mexico: Authentic Mexican Cooking Class & Market Tour
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Mexico City, Mexico
- 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Learn to prepare classic Mexican dishes alongside a professional chef with this cooking class in Mexico City's Roma Norte neighborhood. Shop for ingredients at a local market, and then head to a private cooking studio to prepare your 4-course menu with appetizers, mains, and dessert. This tour also includes a tasting of agua fresca and your choice of alcoholic beverage to complement your meal.
- Mexican cooking class in Mexico City
- Hands-on class teaches you recipes you can bring back home
- Shop at a local market alongside a chef
- All ingredients for a 4-course meal included, plus drinks and dessert
Sample Menu
Starter
Mexican Street Appetizers
Hand-pressed sopes with two house-made molcajete salsas — smoky red and bright green. Mexico's street food culture, made by your own hands.
Starter
Mextlapique
A pre-Hispanic delicacy — vegetables slow-cooked without masa in a fragrant spearmint sauce.
Main
White Mole
Mexico's celebratory white sauce — pine nuts, almonds, peanuts, sesame, blonde raisins, chile güero. Featured in "101 Reasons to Taste the World".
Dessert
Corn Bread & Hot Chocolate
Pan de elote — a moist, naturally sweet Mexican corn cake paired with traditional water-based hot chocolate. A warm finish to your culinary journey.
What's Included
- Professional Chef guide
- All needed ingredients to cook menu
- Printed recipes
- Market Tour
- Four course lunch
- Alcoholic BeveragesArtisanal mezcal, Mexican craft beer, Mexican wine
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Medellín 191A, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Aura Cocina Mexicana, Medellín 191a (between Chiapas and Tapachula streets), colonia Roma Norte, Mexico City. Please ring the doorbell at your arrival.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Start time.9:30 am
What To Expect
1
Aura Cocina Mexicana
2
Mercado de Medellin
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Mole Blanco is usually served with chicken pieces. Other options available: panela cheese or mushrooms, please indicate your selection.
- An apron will be provided to be used during class. To better enjoy the class we suggest wearing comfortable clothes and shoes, please avoid scarves, long necklaces and jewelry while in the kitchen.
- Not suitable for nuts allergies
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Amazing experience. We were taken care of from start to finish. I learned so much about the food, history and art of cooking. Definitely enhanced the experience to go to the market and meet the vendors, try the food (even the bugs) and learn about many of the locals who have been creating these dishes for many years. The cooking experience was well organized, easy to follow and fun! One of the best local experiences I've ever had.
Reviews
5.0
based on 304 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
We had such a wonderful experience with Lorena on our first day in Mexico City! Taking her cooking class was the perfect way to start our trip. Lorena was incredibly warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable, and she did such a great job making the experience both fun and educational.
We started with a tour of Mercado Medellín, where we sampled a variety of fresh ingredients, fruits, tortillas, and even some insects! Lorena shared so much interesting history and insight into Mexican ingredients and their connection to the culture, which made the experience feel much more meaningful than just a cooking class.
From the market, we went on to prepare a delicious four-course meal together. Lorena patiently guided us through every step of the preparation and cooking while explaining the history and traditions behind the dishes. We loved being able to make the meal ourselves and then sit down and enjoy everything we had prepared, along with our choice of beer, wine, agua Fresca or mezcal.
It was an unforgettable experience and such a special introduction to Mexico City. We’re so glad we did this on our first day and would absolutely recommend Lorena’s class to anyone visiting CDMX!
This was one of the highlights of our trip to Mexico City! Our chef provided a truly authentic experience, teaching us not only how to prepare delicious Mexican dishes but also about the country's rich culinary traditions and culture.
The visit to the local market was fantastic, and even the insect tasting was a fun and memorable experience! I especially loved learning about the different fresh and dried chilies and how they are used in Mexican cooking.
The class was very hands-on, and I've already recreated many of the dishes at home. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking for an authentic and unforgettable Mexican cooking experience.
After traveling the world and taking cooking classes in each of the countries we visit, I can easily say that this was the best, most organized cooking class we've ever taken!
What a terrific way to spend a morning in CDMX! Our guide and instructor Lorena was fantastic. We were greeted with coffee, tea, and a huitlacoche quesadilla! We then proceeded to visit a tortillería and a local market. This part of the experience included many unexpected food samples— I won’t name them because the surprise is part of the fun! We then returned to the studio to prepare a delicious multi-course meal, full of cultural learning, sampling, chopping, baking, and cooking. Everyone was kept busy and there was never a dull moment. When it came time to eat, we had mezcal shots, beer, and wine to accompany our meal! The food we made was elevated and authentic, and included things I had never tried even though I’ve been to Mexico many times. We also enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with fellow travelers. I highly recommend this experience.
Such a wonderful experience! By far one of the best cooking classes I’ve ever taken. Pamela is knowledge, joyful and has a deep and true love for her culture and the food that she helps you to prepare. I highly recommend anyone to take this class if you want to experience a piece of Mexico City through stories , laughter and cuisine.
Overall a fantastic cooking class and market tour. I ended up going to back to the market and bullying several things the following day, and I would not have known where to go if I hadn’t had a tour first. The class was well paced, interactive, and ended in a delicious lunch! Wholeheartedly recommended.
This was one of the best cooking classes I ever did. Chef Lorena was really knowledgeable, walked us through all the typical Mexican ingredients and then took us to a local market to buy try a few things. She also pointed things about the neighbourhood and interesting buildings around. We made 4 very tasty courses and everything was explained very well and turned out very tasty accompanied with Mexican beer, wine or mezcal. The group was small which made the experience even more personal. Also the space where the cooking class is taking place is very neat.
The Essence of Mexico cooking experience was fantastic! From the morning market tour to the 4-course cooking experience, it was exactly what we hoped for. Lorena is a very passionate chef that expertly guided our group through an authentic cooking experience. I would highly recommend this tour if you enjoy food and cooking and would like to take a mini dive into cooking Mexican cuisine!
Amazing experience. We were taken care of from start to finish. I learned so much about the food, history and art of cooking. Definitely enhanced the experience to go to the market and meet the vendors, try the food (even the bugs) and learn about many of the locals who have been creating these dishes for many years. The cooking experience was well organized, easy to follow and fun! One of the best local experiences I've ever had.
The class is lots of fun, you learn and eat a lot. The market experience was quick paced yet informative. Our chef spoke excellent English and took the time to get to know us all, as well as our taste preferences. The meal we all made was amazing.
We prepared some uncommon dishes, things I had never tried before, rather than items you see in every restaurant. It was an interesting and welcome approach to Mexican cooking.
Chef Pame was amazing. She taught us about Mexican cooking, took us to the market and then we prepared a 4 course lunch. Amazing
An incredible day with some amazing fellow tourists in our group that made our whole trip. I must say I have yet to find an equally competently run tour (notwithstanding the incredible competence and quality, still a lot of heart). THANK YOU!
Wonderful experience. Very immersive and informative and food we cooked was delicious. Pamela was amazing and very knowledgeable.
This was a great experience for our family (kids ages 14 and 11). Everyone enjoyed learning about the foods and ingredients and the dishes were delicious.
Absolute highlight of our trip to Mexico City. We should've started with this! I learned so much about the food (and general culture) of Mexico. I don't even like cooking and had such a good time with our chef, Lorena. The market visit, cooking process, and meal were all amazing.
This was such a fun and amazing experience. Our host Pamela was very enthusiastic for the foods and traditions of Mexico. We felt immediately like she was an old friend. The food we made was incredible; some of the best we had in Mexico City. The supporting staff were great too. Thank you for the great experience Aura.
Wonderful class- beautiful space with a great instructor. The food we made was delicious and I love that it included the trip to the market!
Great experience to learn about the mexican cusine!
Pamo was really kind and welcoming. She provided plenty of explanation and ensured we all had a pleasant experience, even if our cooking skills were not so good. The menu was well selected and personalized vegetarian / non vegetarian. Recommend it !
Wonderful class. So much fun, very well organized, the market tour was fantastic and Lorena was terrific...polite, knowledgeable, and a delight to be with. Can't recommend this class highly enough.
MUST DO!! If you love cooking like my husband and I do, this was a perfect morning of introductions to native Mexican fruits and vegetables, a spin through the Mercado Medellin to taste some of the fresh fruits and vegetables and get a taste of the daily produce shopping experience. Chef Lorena was our guide through the morning, she gave us histories, flavor profiles, and expertly guided the group through making a 4 course meal, we had 2 children with us and they even had roles and the whole experience was very personal!
We had a great time cooking with Mariana! We would definitely consider another class next time we are in CDMX!
We traveled to Mexico City to attend several cooking classes and this one was excellent. Our instructor Ana was completely charming and very knowledgeable. She spent a great deal of time on the history of Mexican cooking, which was fascinating. During the class, we prepared Mextlapiques and Mole Blanco, among other dishes. Every class will teach you salsas and tortillas, so we were fortunate to learn these somewhat unique dishes. The cooking facility was very nicely decorated and clean and organized. I would say the strength of the class was the visit to the Medellin Market prior to the class. Ana expertly showed us the items used in Mexican cooking first hand and weaved in some history at the same time. I would highly recommend this class to anyone.
The chef Mariana was great with explaining the ingredients and instructing throughout the class! I especially enjoyed the market tour. One suggestion would be to ensure everyone taking the class practices good hygeniene. I noticed a couple of people didn't wash their hands before touching tortillas that we all had to eat and one person had to be told to not put his tasting spoon back into the salsa. I'm really hoping no one gets sick.
Lorena was a wonderful guide for us through Mercado Medellin and led us through an immersive experience of sampling various items from fruit, tortillas, and even some insects! From there we had a wonderful time cooking our way through a 4 course meal where Lorena explained the history behind the ingredients that we were using and patiently guided us through all of the preparation, cooking, and baking. This was an unforgettable experience in CDMX!
An absolutely incredible experience and a must do when in Mexico City! We had Pam (Pamé) as our host and she was incredible, very funny and hospitable and a great teacher! From the sope to the flan cake everything was so tasty! And the market tour with the bug tasting and the rest was so interesting! We would recommend this to anyone who comes to CDMX!
Our family had a fantastic time in this class! We learned a lot about typical Mexican foods and ingredients, really enjoyed visiting the market with a guide (they can feel pretty overwhelming otherwise!), and of course had a ball cooking up and eating a delicious 4-course feast. The facility is so charming, and the staff is engaging and wonderful. Take this class, you will not regret it!
It’s amazing because you combine visiting the market knowing the vegetables and fruits that you later will cook and at the end you will eat all the delicious food that you cooked. Amazing experience. I highly recommend and the chef is awesome as well!!’
This was a very special class which we enjoyed immensely. The market tour was fun and the actual cooking (and eating) was even better. Our chef led us through the most amazing journey of food and history. She was wonderful. Highly recommend this class for anyone who wants to learn a bit about Mexican food, and more importantly, anyone who wants to eat an authentic incredible meal.
Chef Pame was an amazing host! I highly recommend this experience as a MUST do for CDMX! The food is incredible! I loved learning about Mexican food culture and history. Pame is very engaging and friendly. I loved the tour portion and visiting tortillarias was my favorite stop. I would definitely return for another class! It was fun to get to know some other travelers during the experience.
From $157.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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